NEWS News

[Early Morning: Imagining the Stage of the Final]

We welcomed the morning of the second day of the tournament.
Woke up at 7:15 a.m. and went for a walk before breakfast. We headed to the main pitch where the final match of this tournament will be held.
The venue has five natural grass pitches, and among them, this pitch is especially beautiful. It provided a wonderful environment that made the players aspire, saying, "I want to play here!" We even went up to the stands to firmly boost our motivation for today's match.

[Match 3: vs ARSAIPA SOCCER KIDS]

Overseas expeditions are never straightforward.
Around 10 o'clock, just as we were about to start warming up, staff from another Japanese team suddenly told us, "The match is about to start, so please move."
It seems that the match scheduled to take place before ours was canceled, and the kickoff time was suddenly moved up. We were certainly surprised, but after negotiating that we at least wanted some time to warm up, we were able to secure that time. Both the players and staff have gradually become less fazed by troubles of this level.

The crucial match, where we must win to advance to the final tournament, kicked off.
The opponent was a team that firmly organized their defense. We entered the match with a focus on "actively moving the ball during attacking phases," which was also a challenge from yesterday.

In the 16th minute of the first half, Sotaro Kawasaki picked up a long ball from the opponent, passed it through defensive midfielders Shohei Yakishita and Sora Kuramochi to Kazuto Mitsuhashi. Then, Joe Orango received a gentle one-touch pass from Mitsuhashi, turned beautifully, evaded the opposing defender, and delivered a perfect final pass to Ryoma Watanabe who was running in! Calmly winning the one-on-one against the goalkeeper, he scored the opening goal.

Sotaro Kawasaki picked up the ball near the halfway line and finished in just 10 seconds. It was a wonderful goal where the players coordinated perfectly, brilliantly applying the lessons learned from yesterday.

The defense also fought hard. The opponent combined careful build-up play with long balls, and their forwards were physically imposing players. However, center backs Koji Hattori and Shintaro Chiga showed bold defending and maintained stable defense throughout, not giving the opponents any freedom.
The attacking players continued to score goals, and the match ended with a 9-0 result.

[For the First Time Since the Team’s Formation, Everyone Took the Pitch!]

In this match, Keiji Takakoshi, who had been gradually reintegrating after injury, finally made his appearance.
Since the team’s formation, there was always someone sidelined due to injury, so all players had never been together.
And on this day, four months after the team started, for the first time, "everyone" was able to stand together on the pitch. It was a deeply moving moment for the team.

[Match 4: vs Lamphun Warriors FC]

Trouble awaited us even in the final match of the preliminary league.
The match was suddenly changed to a different team than the originally scheduled opponent (CHAKKHAM KHANATHON), resulting in a rematch against the team we had a practice match with before the tournament.

During the practice match, many of the players were small and gave the impression of carefully building up play, but when we actually stepped onto the pitch, the opponents were all noticeably bigger than the U-15 Fukagawa players. It seems that only some players participated in the practice match, and the main squad did not play.

Kickoff began with no clear prediction of how the match would unfold.
As usual, we carefully built up play while observing the opponent's approach. Then, unusually for the past few matches, the opponent applied aggressive pressing from the front line.
However, the players showed a reliable performance here as well. They skillfully handled the opponent's intense pressing, maintained possession with some composure, and began to take control of the game.

In the 6th minute of the first half, Zenji Wada picked up a loose ball deep in the opponent's half and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from near the penalty area! The ball beautifully pierced the far side net, scoring a wonderful golazo to take the lead.
Then, in the 24th minute of the first half, after receiving a vertical build-up pass, defensive midfielder Sora Kuramochi played a short pass to Kota Yokokawa. As Yokokawa lifted his head, forward Mado Murakami made a run behind the defense. A perfectly timed long ball was delivered! Murakami evaded the opponent with one touch and struck powerfully with his right foot on the second touch, slotting the ball into the right corner of the goal.
Following that, with goals including a direct free kick by Maoh Murakami, we kept adding to the score, resulting in a 5-0 shutout victory!
This match gave us great momentum heading into the knockout stage!

[Now, On to the Knockout Stage!]

With this result, we successfully advanced from the group stage in 2nd place, securing our spot in tomorrow’s knockout stage!
After dinner, we held a short meeting. It was a day filled with troubles both on and off the pitch, but we reaffirmed the team’s goal of "acting with consideration for others' feelings" and shared a very valuable time reflecting on what is necessary to grow as soccer players and as individuals.

The players and staff will work together as one to achieve good results in the knockout tournament.

[Match Result]
vs ARSAIPA SOCCER KIDS
● 9-0 (1-0, 8-0)
[Scorers]
Ryoma Watanabe, Madoka Murakami ×3, Keisho Kogure, Keisuke Takakoshi ×3, Shita Sato

[Match Result]
vs Lamphun Warriors FC
● 5-0 (3-0, 2-0)
[Scorers]
Zenji Wada, Madoka Murakami ×3, Sora Kuramochi

[Early Morning: On to the Final Tournament]

We have reached the third day of the tournament (the final day). Today, we will play the semifinals, and depending on the outcome, either the final or the third-place match.
Since the first match kicks off at 8:30 a.m., we woke up at 5:50 a.m. this morning. The players are gradually getting used to the food in Thailand and more are able to eat well. Finally, we are about to play in a wonderful stadium!

【Semifinal: vs Mikasa Chonburi FC Soccer School】

A match in a wonderful stadium. With a moderate sense of tension and excitement, we kicked off without any major trouble.
However, right from the start, we felt the high level of play. Not only the size but also the intensity and speed of the pressing, as well as the quality and distance of the long balls. It was a tough game with a speed rarely experienced at the U-13 level.

In the 8th minute of the first half, the right side was broken through and a shot came from the center. Goalkeeper Yuma Odanaka saved it once, but the defense could not respond in time to the rebound, resulting in a goal conceded.

In the 12th minute of the first half, a cross came in from the left side which Koji Hattori blocked, and then Yuki Furuta blocked the shot from the rebound. Despite repeatedly putting their bodies on the line to defend, the rebound was struck directly, and although Shintaro Chiga touched it, unfortunately the ball crossed the goal line. The first half ended with a score of 0-2.

At halftime, the players were actively discussing and sharing their thoughts about the match. We could feel their definite growth over the past few days. Coach Ota unified their intentions by saying, "Let's limit the opponent's powerful attacks through aggressive pressing up front and precise control of the defensive line."

In the second half, the press utilizing Keiji Takakoshi's speed as the center forward began to take effect, reducing the opportunities for the opponent to kick freely. Then, at the 30th minute of the second half, Keiji Takakoshi aggressively attacked from the left side, cut inside, and took a shot! Although the goalkeeper blocked it, Shita Sato, who was following up, pushed it in, resulting in the long-awaited goal.

We continued to attack boldly during additional time, but fell short and lost 1-2.
Even during lunch, the players gathered on their own for a meeting. The staff did not interfere and warmly watched over their reliable presence.

【3rd Place Playoff: vs Muangthong United】

Although we couldn’t make it to the final, we approached the 3rd place playoff with a strong desire to grow and win during this expedition. The opposing team defended by pulling back and solidifying their defense. Due to fatigue from consecutive matches and the heat, there were difficult moments with uncharacteristic passing errors. Even so, Shintaro Chiga, wearing the captain’s armband, and Subaru Nakajo, who showed aggressive defense despite his small stature, completely shut down the opponent’s attack! Both fullbacks, Yuki Furuta and Sotaro Kawasaki, despite accumulating fatigue, fiercely supported the team by repeatedly moving up and down in both offense and defense. They have truly become much stronger over the past few months.

At the 11th minute of the second half with the score still 0-0, the match finally moved. Kuramochi Sora picked up a desperate clearance from the opponent and passed it to Wada Zenji on the left side. Taking advantage of his speed, he cut inside and delivered a cross with his right foot, which is not his dominant foot! Murakami Shinta on the opposite side volleyed it with his left foot into the left corner of the goal, scoring a brilliant opening goal showcasing his skill! However, at the 14th minute of the second half, the opponent pushed in a loose ball from a fierce continuous attack, leveling the score at 1-1. The match was then decided by a penalty shootout.

As both teams continued to score successfully, Fukagawa's third kicker was Shintaro Chiga. With a run-up that slightly disrupted the goalkeeper's timing, he kicked to the right. Although the opposing GK touched the ball, it crossed the goal line with determination. After that, the seventh kicker, Sotaro Kawasaki, also scored perfectly. Then came the opponent's seventh kicker. The slightly weak kick to the left was brilliantly caught by goalkeeper Yuma Odanaka! Winning the penalty shootout, they secured victory in the third-place playoff.

[After the Tournament and Returning Home]

During the free time before the closing ceremony, we were invited by a Japanese soccer school team that participated in the U-12 category of this tournament, and we played a practice match. It was a time filled with smiles on the field, allowing us to once again realize the joy of soccer.

Many challenges were found, but it became a wonderful tournament where the players themselves understood that they must seek "high quality" both on and off the pitch and continue to grow.

Tomorrow, after sightseeing in downtown Bangkok, we will return home on a night flight. We will firmly support the players to ensure they return safely until the very end!

[Match Result]
Semifinal vs Mikasa Chonburi FC Soccer School
●1-2 (0-2, 1-0)
[Scorer]
Shita Sato

[Match Result]
3rd Place Match vs Muangthong United
Win 1-1 (0-0, 1-1) (PK 7-6)
[Scorer]
Shinta Murakami

[Player Comment]
Player Yuma Odanaka
"During this Thailand expedition, living and playing matches in an environment different from usual allowed me to gain a lot of experience.
In terms of soccer, I found my own challenges and areas that are still lacking, so I want to improve them through future practice. Also, as a team, I feel that communication has increased through repeated matches, and many good aspects have emerged.
I also learned many things in terms of daily life. There were times when I left the room with the key still inside, and even though I made mistakes, I couldn’t honestly express my feelings by saying "I'm sorry," which caused worry among my teammates. From this experience, I learned the importance of considering others' feelings before acting.
I will apply what I learned during this expedition to my future activities and work hard to grow further both as an individual and as a team.

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◇[U-15 Fukagawa] Thailand Expedition Departure to Day 1
◇[U-15 Fukagawa] Thailand Expedition Day 2
◇[U-15 Fukagawa] Thailand Expedition Day 3